Pakistan has climbed to fifth place among countries with the highest number of illegal immigrants in Europe, according to a report released by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR).
The report revealed that nearly 40% of Pakistanis expressed a desire to leave the country, citing economic challenges, political instability, unemployment, inflation, terrorism, and limited educational opportunities as key reasons.
The report detailed that Pakistan was not among the top 10 countries for illegal migration to Europe in 2022 but surged to fifth place by mid-2023.
By December 2023, 8,778 Pakistanis had crossed into Europe illegally. Most migrants traveled through routes involving Dubai, Egypt, and Libya.
During the first half of 2023, around 13,000 Pakistanis reached Europe through these routes, with 10,000 not returning.
Migration trends were higher in urban areas compared to rural ones, with 40% of urban residents and 36% of rural populations expressing a willingness to emigrate.
The highest desire to leave was recorded in Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan at 42%, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 38%, Sindh at 37.6%, and Islamabad at 36.5%.
The report also revealed a 280% increase in illegal emigration from Pakistan to Europe in the first 10 months of 2022. Similar spikes were noted for Turkey (208%), Egypt (179%), Afghanistan (165%), Syria (122%), and Bangladesh (92%). Among nationalities, Syrians accounted for 42.7% of illegal migrants to Europe, followed by Afghans (16.4%), Tunisians (12.1%), Egyptians (9.6%), Bangladeshis (8%), Turks (5.7%), and Pakistanis (5.5%).
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intensified its crackdown on human smugglers following the Greek tragedy. In 2023, 189 cases were registered, leading to 854 arrests. During the first eight months of 2023, over 25,000 Pakistanis were deported by air, 3,150 by land, and 10,366 were offloaded.
The report recommended targeted awareness campaigns in high-migration areas, forming intelligence units at the district level, and establishing legal migration channels to counter human trafficking and illegal migration.
